Blood Moon Rising Clan
Your
travels have brought you to a small but prosperous village, in this strange
land. You decide to see if there is a place you can sleep for the night at the
Tavern, not to mention a decent meal and a drink or three.
As you approach the Tavern, you can hear the loud and boistrous merry-making going on within. As you enter, the Tavern suddely goes deathly silent, and all eyes are now on you. You are a bit nervous as you approach the bar to see about that room and meal. The Tavern Keeper breaks the silence when she speaks to you.
"Come Stranger, sit and slake your thirst. We don't see many new faces here."
She pours you a drink in a tall mug. "Why is that? Oh. we don't generally see new people because we are a bit off the beaten path, and we're a Cursed village."
"Hmm? How are we cursed? Well, that would be because we have the Blood Moon Rising Clan living up the track at the far end of the village, off in the mountains." She laughs. "Well, their name is a bit deceptive. One would think, with the name, that they were a Werewolf Clan, but in truth they are a clan of Vampires."
She gets a shocked look on her face. "You scoff? Every village in these parts has a Vampire or Werewolf Clan not far. Where did you say you were from?"
Her suspicious look changes to dumbfounded. "Really? Isn't that far across the Great Sea and on the other side of the world?"
She nods her head. "I thought so. And you say there are no Vampires or Werewolves in your land? A pity."
"Hmm? Why a pity? Stranger settle yourself in. Here let me refill your drink there." She pours you a drink in a fresh mug and sets it before you. "If you are to survive in these lands you'd better know how things are. As I said before, every village has a Vampire or Werewolf clan near by. Most villages live in fear and terror of their Clans." She pauses and looks you over throughly, then nods her head as if she'd learned something important about you. "But not all, we don't. Those that do, do so because their Clans often and brutally raid them."
"Well yes, Blood Moon Rising does occasionally feed off the folk here or Turn one, but for the most part, they protect us from the other Clans that come raiding. Especially the Werewolf Clans. You see, above all else, the Vampires and the Werewolves hate each other. There has been an ongoing war between the two since both Kinds were created. Not that it doesn't mean that a rare few manage to find friendship, or their mortal ties trancend their immortal ones. It's just a general rule that the majority hate each other."
She pours you a drink again. "Hmm? How'd the Blood Moon Rising Clan came to be? Well, the two original Leaders of Blood Moon Rising came in and ousted the Werewolf Clan that claimed this village. It took them many years, first by catching the Werewolves by surprise in ones and twos, and even threes. Then they managed to corner the Pack Leader right here in this very tavern." She waves off in a direction. After several hours of battle, they killed him. They never let up on harrasing and killing the rest of the Clan survivors either. Until finally, the few left fled to who knows where."
She pauses her tale to take a drink herself. "Then one day as night fell, there they stood in the village centre until the whole village was in attendance. He was a hansome Gent, dapper in his elegant clothes. She was a vision of ethereal beauty. Both so cold and distant. Many feared what type of Clan had just claimed the village as their own, for both had been ruthless and merciless in their destruction of the Werewolf Clan. The villagers stood, they stood, silence for many heartbeats. Then..."
'I am Phoe, and this is my mate, Swiftwolf. Together we have destroyed the Werewolf Clan that has preyed upon you for untold generations.' She stops.
'Together, She and I will build a Vampire Clan at the end of yon track.' He waves a hand towards the end of the village and the track leading into the mountains there.
'No more will you be Raided by the Clans. Instead, Blood Moon Rising Clan will protect you from them.'
He speaks up. 'That doesn't mean we won't occasionally take one from this village now and again.'
She gives a depreciating chuckle. 'But we do enjoy our comforts, so we will be paying you for the things we want. Not bullying, stealing, or otherwisae for it.' And with that, they turned and walked away. The villagers were stunned and moved out of their way.
She grins. "No, we didn't believe them at first, but they have stayed true to the words they spoke that day. We have become a rich village with their protection and generosity, and it is rare indeed that we are Raided by other Clans. No, Stranger. We do not fear our Blood Moon Rising Clan. They are our Protectors, Neighbors, and the source of our Wealth. You could even say we are protective of Blood Moon Rising in our own ways."
She chuckles. "Protective how? Well, now that you know the truth of our village and Clan, you have a choice."
Her grin is almost evil. "What choice you ask? Why to live here peacefully as a fellow villager, or..."
A creature of untold beauty steps out of the shadows and approaches, laying a hand on your shoulder and grins at you. You see the longest and sharpest set of upper canine teeth in that grin. You no longer doubt the Tavern Keeper's tale as you see a Vampire for the first time.
As you approach the Tavern, you can hear the loud and boistrous merry-making going on within. As you enter, the Tavern suddely goes deathly silent, and all eyes are now on you. You are a bit nervous as you approach the bar to see about that room and meal. The Tavern Keeper breaks the silence when she speaks to you.
"Come Stranger, sit and slake your thirst. We don't see many new faces here."
She pours you a drink in a tall mug. "Why is that? Oh. we don't generally see new people because we are a bit off the beaten path, and we're a Cursed village."
"Hmm? How are we cursed? Well, that would be because we have the Blood Moon Rising Clan living up the track at the far end of the village, off in the mountains." She laughs. "Well, their name is a bit deceptive. One would think, with the name, that they were a Werewolf Clan, but in truth they are a clan of Vampires."
She gets a shocked look on her face. "You scoff? Every village in these parts has a Vampire or Werewolf Clan not far. Where did you say you were from?"
Her suspicious look changes to dumbfounded. "Really? Isn't that far across the Great Sea and on the other side of the world?"
She nods her head. "I thought so. And you say there are no Vampires or Werewolves in your land? A pity."
"Hmm? Why a pity? Stranger settle yourself in. Here let me refill your drink there." She pours you a drink in a fresh mug and sets it before you. "If you are to survive in these lands you'd better know how things are. As I said before, every village has a Vampire or Werewolf clan near by. Most villages live in fear and terror of their Clans." She pauses and looks you over throughly, then nods her head as if she'd learned something important about you. "But not all, we don't. Those that do, do so because their Clans often and brutally raid them."
"Well yes, Blood Moon Rising does occasionally feed off the folk here or Turn one, but for the most part, they protect us from the other Clans that come raiding. Especially the Werewolf Clans. You see, above all else, the Vampires and the Werewolves hate each other. There has been an ongoing war between the two since both Kinds were created. Not that it doesn't mean that a rare few manage to find friendship, or their mortal ties trancend their immortal ones. It's just a general rule that the majority hate each other."
She pours you a drink again. "Hmm? How'd the Blood Moon Rising Clan came to be? Well, the two original Leaders of Blood Moon Rising came in and ousted the Werewolf Clan that claimed this village. It took them many years, first by catching the Werewolves by surprise in ones and twos, and even threes. Then they managed to corner the Pack Leader right here in this very tavern." She waves off in a direction. After several hours of battle, they killed him. They never let up on harrasing and killing the rest of the Clan survivors either. Until finally, the few left fled to who knows where."
She pauses her tale to take a drink herself. "Then one day as night fell, there they stood in the village centre until the whole village was in attendance. He was a hansome Gent, dapper in his elegant clothes. She was a vision of ethereal beauty. Both so cold and distant. Many feared what type of Clan had just claimed the village as their own, for both had been ruthless and merciless in their destruction of the Werewolf Clan. The villagers stood, they stood, silence for many heartbeats. Then..."
'I am Phoe, and this is my mate, Swiftwolf. Together we have destroyed the Werewolf Clan that has preyed upon you for untold generations.' She stops.
'Together, She and I will build a Vampire Clan at the end of yon track.' He waves a hand towards the end of the village and the track leading into the mountains there.
'No more will you be Raided by the Clans. Instead, Blood Moon Rising Clan will protect you from them.'
He speaks up. 'That doesn't mean we won't occasionally take one from this village now and again.'
She gives a depreciating chuckle. 'But we do enjoy our comforts, so we will be paying you for the things we want. Not bullying, stealing, or otherwisae for it.' And with that, they turned and walked away. The villagers were stunned and moved out of their way.
She grins. "No, we didn't believe them at first, but they have stayed true to the words they spoke that day. We have become a rich village with their protection and generosity, and it is rare indeed that we are Raided by other Clans. No, Stranger. We do not fear our Blood Moon Rising Clan. They are our Protectors, Neighbors, and the source of our Wealth. You could even say we are protective of Blood Moon Rising in our own ways."
She chuckles. "Protective how? Well, now that you know the truth of our village and Clan, you have a choice."
Her grin is almost evil. "What choice you ask? Why to live here peacefully as a fellow villager, or..."
A creature of untold beauty steps out of the shadows and approaches, laying a hand on your shoulder and grins at you. You see the longest and sharpest set of upper canine teeth in that grin. You no longer doubt the Tavern Keeper's tale as you see a Vampire for the first time.